The Reaper
by arkhamangel827
Summary: Detective Sara Quin of the Vancouver Police Department has a lot to figure out; her feelings toward her twin sister Tegan, and also The Reaper, who has been on a rampage, killing left and right! Will she solve all of the city's mysteries, including her own, before it's too late? AU. Quincest. Don't like, don't read. This is my first TnS fic so please read and review! Hope you like!
1. Chapter 1

**The Reaper**

**A/N:**

Please excuse any errors, I was writing this late at night! Thanks, and enjoy! Please review, as any feedback is greatly appreciated! :)

**Chapter 1: Quintessential Life**

**Tegan's POV**

I looked at my watch; it was barely seven forty pm, and my shift at a local bar ended in five minutes, but I was tired, and desperately wanted to go home. All I had to do was clock out, and I would be on my way back to the apartment I shared with my sister. I clocked out about ten minutes later, grabbing my coat to deflect the winter chill. The Vancouver winters are always cold.

"Hey LB, I'm going on home now. What time do you want me to come in tomorrow?" I asked, tiredly waiting just in front of the exit.

"Let's see, Tegan... our doors don't open tomorrow until 2 o'clock pm, and... it's your day off." She answered me.  
"It is? Since when?" I asked.  
"Since you were such a hard worker; you know, you've only missed one day of work this year. That's damn good, especially for November to be just around the bend. Go home. Take a few days off, I won't mind. Now, get the hell out of here!" Lindsey mock-shouted, a smile on her face.

"Model Employee" wasn't a title I'd actually been trying to obtain, but I wouldn't complain.  
"Thanks Linds. I'm going to head out now then." I replied thankfully, taking my leave out into the cold night. It was nearly eight o'clock now, and rather dark. I unlocked my car door and tossed my bag (not purse) onto the passenger's seat. I was just about ready to get in the car when I noticed movement behind me in my peripheral vision that made me freeze.

"Give me any money you have, and give me your fucking car keys!" A voice growled into my ear, and something cold touched the back of my neck. It made my blood run colder when the realization of what it was hit me, much like a bullet. My knees were shaking, I couldn't think straight.

"I know you fucking heard me, give me the goddamn money and your keys, and maybe I won't fucking kill you!" The voice yelled this time. I couldn't talk. My heart was hammering, my mouth was dry, and only small whimpers came from my mouth. I couldn't move. I was frozen to that spot.  
I heard the safety click off of a gun, and then a small amount of relief coursed through me as I heard her voice.

"Just to make sure you fucking heard _me_, I'm going to say it nice and clearly. Drop your fucking weapon, and step away from the lady." She growled in an authoritative voice I would otherwise never hear unless she was at work. This was her work.

The man turned away from me, facing her, and I turned my head ever-so-slightly to see what was going to happen. The attention was no longer on me, and now I only worried for her safety.

She met my eyes for a brief second and almost imperceptibly gestured for me to get in my car. The door had been opened, so I just inched down into the seat quietly and listened to the interaction between the two intently.

"Who the fuck are you?" He yelled. I watched through my rearview mirror at her face, completely focused and not scared noticeably like mine probably was. She wasn't wearing her uniform, but she showed him her badge, about three feet separating them, her service pistol still in her other hand.

"Detective Quin, Vancouver Police. What were you doing there? Something illegal, right?"  
The man said nothing, just stepped closer. It was like a western stare down.  
"I won't tell you again. Drop your weapon now." She didn't have to yell to get her point across. I saw the man falter for a second, and turning my head from the headrest, I saw his finger move to the trigger.  
"Nothing had to go south if you'd have just let me do what I was going to do." He whispered to her.  
"If you say so. If things are going to go south, then let them go south. If you try anything, I'm obligated to shoot to kill at the threat to the safety of others and my own."

I felt a bead of sweat slide down my forehead in the twenty-five degree weather.

"I'm not afraid of cops. I'm not dropping my gun if yours is in my face like that. I'll drop mine if you drop yours first!" He hissed out. I could see a look of surprise pass across her features for a second, but was quickly replaced by her previous stony look.

"Why not?" She said, and put the safety back on and kneeled down to place her gun on the ground, never breaking eye contact with the guy. As she stood back up to her full height, I noticed a blur of darkness run past my door and tackle the man just as she leaped out of the way, snagging her service weapon just in time.

Another officer had tackled the man and cuffed him after securing his weapon.  
"Damn it, Sherwood, wanna cut it a bit closer next time?" She asked in relief. I finally let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"Sorry, Sarge. I was trying to find you sooner. I saw the look on your face and I came running. How was my timing?" Her partner, Quinn Sherwood asked.  
"Just fine, Q. Now get him down to the station for booking. I'll review it with you tomorrow. This isn't really my area of assignment, so you take care of it, and I'm off the clock right now."  
"Got it. Get up, douche bag." He said, tugging on his arm a bit less than gently.

I got of my car so quickly that I was a little bit lightheaded. It subsided when I found myself in the arms of my sister.

"Oh my God, Tegan, are you okay? Did that motherfucker do anything to you? Did he touch you? I swear to God if he did..." She stopped to pull away and look into my eyes.  
"Say something, Tee. We're okay." She said to me, and I nodded and swallowed.  
"I'm glad that you were here. I'm so glad you're okay. And I'm fine, really. I really hate your job, Sar. But I'm so glad that you and Quinn were here." I said with the utmost honesty. I really did hate her job. I didn't like the idea of her in harm's way on a daily basis.

"Want me to follow you back to the apartment in my cruiser or something?"  
"It would be nice, but I couldn't ask you to do that..." I replied.  
"It's a good thing you don't have to, then, eh? You lead. My car's back down that way. By the time you pull out, I'll be right behind you." She said, and ran off after I nodded.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. Sara was right. We were both okay. We'd both be fine now. I felt like I didn't want to let Sara go when I was in her warm embrace. I felt her heartbeat, strong against my own, and I felt her breath tickling my ear. I missed her already.

**Sara's POV**

Well, that's not something you expect to see when you're on our way to see your sister before she leaves work. But I did. And I'm glad I did, because that asshole was there. I can't dwell on it right now, but I'm just glad that she's safe now.

I hopped into my cruiser and drive quickly to the exit of the parking lot and waited until I saw her black Mustang four-door, and flashed my lights.

I followed Tegan the full eight miles back to our apartment, which was pretty much in the heart of the city. I let her take the parking space my car typically, and made sure to secure the car before I followed her inside.

She tossed her bag inside on the couch sloppily, and I was forced by my neat tendencies to go and fix it.

I looked up and noticed her staring intensely at me. It made me feel uncomfortable, it made thoughts of her that were totally inappropriate cross my mind.

I thought about Stacy, and how it felt when she'd kissed me before I left my shift at work. It'd felt right, but now, as I stare at Tegan's full lips, I wasn't so sure. I shook my head briefly to rid my mind of such thoughts.

I followed Tegan inside and walked the refrigerator and grabbed myself a beer. I tipped my head towards my sister.  
"You want one?"  
She nodded, and I noticed a faint blush spread across her fair cheekbones.

What was that about?

I hand her the drink. We each down a few, like some sort of game, and I slump on the couch, heavily intoxicated.

Tegan sat beside me, nodding to herself. She gripped my hand and interlocked our fingers, squeezing them tightly. She leaned over and placed her soft, warm lips on mine.

They were gone just as suddenly, and I was at a loss for words. I felt my heart skip a beat as I felt myself leaning into her, returning the favor. Her hands snaked their way under my shirt and met my lower back, as I deepened the kiss and offered her my tongue, which she gratefully accepted, moaning into my mouth.

"Oh God... Sara... I want you. I have wanted you... For so long." She whispered, lowering her lips and sucking on my neck.

That revelation sobered me up quite a bit, and I pulled away suddenly. Tegan opened her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked, searching my features.

"This is wrong. We can't do this, Tegan. I can't do this, knowing that it's illegal. It's my job to enforce the law. I can't do this; it's incest!" I said, suddenly backing away from my sister and standing up.

"Sasa, I know it's wrong, but I care about you, and I love you, so much more than I should. I always have." Tegan told me, and I felt something inside me break, as I realized that I felt the same way. I couldn't say anything. I couldn't admit it. I saw the hurt in Tegan's eyes, just for a second, and didn't make any attempt to stop her as she leaned in for another kiss.

She eased me back onto the couch, a look of pure lust in her eyes, a look I wasn't sure I reciprocated. She pulled my skinny jeans down slowly, biting my neck, leaving small marks. The world would know that she owned me. What would Stacy think of me? In that moment, I realized that I didn't care. I was wearing a pair of blue boy shorts until Tegan eased those off of me as well. She grabbed my bum and slid two digits inside of me, finding the source of the heat that I hadn't even been aware of building between my legs. I gasped and moaned, my breath catching in my throat. She did it to me, over and over, not asking for a release in return, but judging from the look in her eyes, watching me come was her release. I panted hard, trying to steady my tired heart, and when I finally had, Tegan looked at me, her eyes warm and so full of love that I could've died right there on the spot.

**Tegan's POV**

I woke up with a start, sweat pouring down my face. I looked down at myself. I was fully clothed and in my own bed, in the apartment Sara and I shared.

It was a large apartment, and some days we didn't even run into each other.  
I got out of bed and looked at my Blackberry. It was four in the morning. I sighed, and shook the dream from my mind. It had only been a nightmare. I thought of what I'd done with Sara just a few nights ago and smiled to myself. Sara had been wasted out of her mind, and didn't remember any of it, but I didn't care. I still know that she feels the same way I do. Or, I at least hope so.

I got up and out of bed, walked to my connecting bathroom and relieved myself. I went up a few stairs to Sara's room, which was nearer to the front of the apartment.

I was going to knock on her door, when I saw a note.

"Hey Tee. I got called into the office, so don't wait up for me for breakfast. If there's an emergency, call 911, and I'll be here, ha ha.  
-Sara"

I chuckled at her cute letter and sighed. I just wanted to be able to hold her in my arms, stop her from ever going back to her dangerous job ever again. I wish she'd just gotten a desk job, or worked with me at Lindsey's bar, or something simple.

I decided that I'd do the laundry and tidy up the already tidy apartment for Sara so she wouldn't have to when she got home.

* * *

**2. Quintessential Death Part 1**

**Sara's POV**

"As you all know, there's been a series of killings on the outskirts of the city, in the not-so-nice areas. We feel as though they may all be from one killer." Staff Sergeant Ted Gowans began, making eye contact with everyone in the room, as he listed the tendencies of the killer.

He continued, "This killer is silent, and seems to only go after women. All of -let's just say his- victims were Caucasian, had brown hair, hazel eyes, and were fairly short. The way that they were killed though, was by massive trauma to the brain. There was also great damage to the extremities, and the ME says that many different bones were broken, and the bodies were ridden with bullet holes prior to the actual murder. And then he carved this" he stopped and gestured to a picture of a crude and bloody carving on a victim's skin.

"S. Reaper" was all it said.  
I noticed our sketch artist pay closer attention at that. Our sketch artist was of course, Emily Storey. She was the best at what she did, and she was only sketch artist that the Homicide branch had.

"So, as you could probably guess, we're going to be forming a task force. And it's called The Reaper Task Force. And the Chief wants you to head it, Quin." Ted announced.

"This is great, I'm finally getting my own case!" Quinn Sherwood exclaimed, trying not to let his excitement show.

"No Sherwood, this case is for Detective Quin, but she isn't alone, just heading the case. And here, first names don't exist; remember it that way." Staff Sergeant Gowans told him, and redirected his attention to me. We'd known each other since University, so I could only guess that he'd put in a good word for me to Chief. Not that he'd needed to; the Chief of police was my stepdad, Bruce Clement.

"Do you have any issues with that, Detective?" He asked, the corners of his mouth raising almost unnoticeably.

"No, sir. Are there any witnesses to any of the killings?" I asked, flipping to a blank page in my notepad.

"There are several witnesses, but I doubt that you will be able to contact them at four thirty in the morning. Go home, get some rest. Come back at around seven, alright?" He told me and I nodded gratefully.  
"Yes, sir." I responded. I nodded curtly to everyone else and took my leave from the conference room and the precinct, and headed for my personal car.

A hand grabbed my arm just as I prepared to open the door to my Dodge Challenger. I managed not to lash out, and slowly turned around.

"Something about this case is disturbing. I don't really like that you're handling this case. Whoever this 'Reaper' is, they seem to be really dangerous. Whatever you do, just be extra careful on this case." Emily told me.

"Jesus Christ, Emy, don't sneak up on me like that!" I sighed and went on, squeezing her shoulder. "Emy, am I not the definition of cautiousness and safety?" I asked. I saw something behind her eyes. Something I'd noticed before, especially since we'd known each other since junior high.

"I broke up with my girlfriend... I don't want to bother you, but I really don't want to be alone right now." She said to me, taking one of my hands in hers.

"I'm so sorry Emy. I had no idea..."

"No, no... Don't be... I broke up with her; she didn't deserve to be with someone who didn't love her back. I broke up with her because... I'm still in love with you, Sara."

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Hunt**

**Tegan's POV**

I hadn't been able to go back to sleep, so I'd stayed awake and went to the living room and settled on the couch. It was about five thirty now, so I turned on the TV to catch the news.

"The Reaper Killer has claimed yet another victim, 34 year-old Samantha Quarrel. The Vancouver Police Department's Homicide Branch is investigating this new killer terrorizing the streets. This latest killing marks the third murder. Investigators have yet to release more information, but has advised everyone to avoid staying out late, to avoid dark alleys, to always watch your back, and don't be on your own at night." The news woman said, but I figured I'd find this more interesting and find out more if I asked Sara about it instead.

I heard the rustling of keys in the front door, and saw Sara, looking tired and maybe a bit distraught.

"Speak of the devil. Look at what they're talking about on the news." I say, before I realize that she isn't alone.  
"Oh, hey Emy. I didn't see you there."  
"Hey Tegan. Why're you up so early?" She replied.  
"I couldn't sleep. Hey Sar, are you okay? You look like hell." I answer, redirecting my attention to my sister.

"I feel like hell. I only got an hour of sleep, and I'm just on information overload right now. And I heard about that Reaper thing... Yeah, I've actually been assigned to that case. I'm really fucking tired, and we have to be back at the station by seven. I'm going to bed. Surely Emy can keep you company, Tee." She said, and left the room, rounding a corner and going into her room and slamming her door shut.

"Hey, what's up with her?" I asked, trying to sound slightly disinterested, but I had actually been a bit concerned.  
"She's tired. And well, she wasn't lying when she said something about information overload. She's the lead detective on this new case; I don't like it though. And... Well, I just told her that I'm still in love with her, so that probably didn't help." Emy said, sighing and sinking down into the couch next to me.

"You did what?!" I hissed the question, so Sara wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, I told her the truth. The reason I just broke up with my girlfriend." She replied, her head in her hands.

"Well, what did she say when you told her that?" I asked, eager to know, but trying not to show it.

"Well, you know Sara; she doesn't show her emotions. She'll just clam up and not say anything about it. I couldn't tell if she was mad or sad or anything, but she'd said 'Emy, I'm seeing someone... I'm already in love.' It was weird because then she said 'I'm dating Stacy'. I didn't question it, and we went out to get coffee, and I drank most of mine and I have the rest here, but Sara, she just got hers in a to-go cup and left it in her car. I guess I won't press the issue; I know that solving this Reaper case is going to become her priority right away."

I wondered if Sara maybe... Possibly felt the same way about me as I do about her... It would be wishful thinking.

"So what do you think? You think she's dating Stacy but seeing someone else? That doesn't sound like my sister, Emy." I tell her.

"I know, I know, but just because she's dating Stacy doesn't mean she's seeing someone else; she could just love them from afar. That's the most painful kind of love, if you ask me."

Tell me about it, I thought to myself.

It'd felt like no time had passed, but before I knew it, it was fifteen minutes after six, and Sara came out of her room looking brand new. Emy had finished her coffee, and looked at Sara with a sense of longing that I both understood and resented.

"Sar-" Emy started.  
"Hey Tegan; I'm really sorry that I was all moody earlier. It was the sleep deprivation, I think. Well, we really need to go, so um, text me if you need anything. I don't know when I'll be back, but uh... Stay out if trouble, eh?" She said, flashing me a famous Sara smile.

"Okay. You got it. Be careful. Bye." I said, and she waved after herding Emy out the door, then closed it and locked it.

Well, Emy was right, but then, I'd already known that Sara wouldn't talk to Emy, so it'd be up to her to act on it. Sara's so tough at work, but I know how true it is that she's sensitive.

**Sara's POV**

I had no intention of talking to Emy about what she'd told me, but I guess I was kind of just dating Stacy as like, a filler since Emy broke up with me three years ago. I was broken after that; I thought that I'd been broken beyond the point of repair. But I was wrong. Tegan had helped me; through all of it. She put me back together again. She'd even forced me to go out on dates after a year had passed. I'd tried it, and failed- up until I started dating Stacy four months ago. She'd left about three weeks ago, on a business trip, though I realized that I didn't exactly know where to.

I was just getting by. I needed someone; but I didn't think that person was Stacy... So was it Emy? I didn't think so, but I just didn't know. Before I realized that I was right around the corner from the precinct, I realized that it was so silent. I risked a glance over at Emy in the passenger's seat, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Sara, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I did to you. To us. If you tell me now that there can't be an 'us' because I broke your heart, then I'll understand. Having your friendship is still a treasure to me." Emy told me, finally looking at me, but not into my eyes. She kept on, talking to me, I mean, but I'd stopped listening.

"Emy, just stop talking," I say, as I pulled into a space in the dark underground lot. "Stop talking and just kiss me." I said, turning her head with my fingers gently and letting my mouth meet hers for the first time in three years.

She gasped in surprise and deepened the kiss, tilting her head. I was just going with the flow, and really getting all "hot and bothered" when someone knocked on my window. It was Ted.

I pulled away from Emy and licked my lips slowly and opened my eyes. I turned to my window and rolled it down.

"Hey. What's up?" I ask nonchalantly.

"'What's up?' What the hell do you mean, 'what's up?' You're heading a fucking case. You need to be there earlier than everyone else!" He said, but there may or may not have been a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Shit... Okay. I'm on my way up there now." I replied.

"No need. Here're the witness files. Go to each place to find the witness and get whatever you can about this killer. Emily, I want you to draw some sketches, give this guy a face if you can." Ted told us, sliding a thin packet of papers into my hand through my window. He strode off before either of us could say a word.

"That was weird." Emy said, and I agreed but was now excited at the possibility of getting some leads on this case.

"Well, let's see... Who's first on this witness list...

"It looks like out first witness lives in the 'Rainbow district'. Her name's Katherine Morrow. She lives on 274 West Windsor Street."I say, handing the papers to Emy and putting my car in reverse and making my way back to the streets.

"I'm fucking starving. Can we please go and get something to eat before we go? Please?" She pleaded with me. I chuckled and nodded, though I wasn't hungry.

I pulled into a coffee shop parking lot and got myself a large cappuccino with two shots of espresso. I got Emy a scone and a mango yogurt for myself.

I was excited to interview the witness, however, I'd hoped that Sherwood or Ted would be my partner throughout the case; I didn't want to put Emy in danger if something were to go wrong.

I walked back to my car and got in, watching Emy devour her food in a matter of minutes as I slowly sipped my coffee.

"Aren't you hungry?" She asked me. I shook my head. I remembered the kiss I shared with Emy, and also how my mind was somehow on... Tegan. I had feelings I needed to sort through, and there could never be an "us" again as far as Emy and I were concerned. I had to stop this before it got any further.

"Emy, I don't want to hurt you... I still love you so much, but..." I stalled, searching for the right words.

"I know. We can't be together. You're with Stacy, and we can't mix work with whatever this would've been. I understand. But I still love you, and I still want to be your best friend, Sara."

I was shocked, and nodded in agreement, knowing that Emy could never know that my real reason for breaking things off so soon was because I was in love with my own sister. It was so wrong, so immoral... But I loved every second of it, when we were together, and wouldn't have it any other way.

We were always both wasted out of our minds, but I still remember. I'll bet Tegan doesn't even remember. There's no real way to bring something up like that in conversation.

"Sar, are you okay?" Emy asked, gently squeezing my shoulder.  
I shook my previous thoughts from my mind and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. All right, so where are we headed?" I'd hoped the blush on my cheeks hadn't been too noticeable.  
"274 West Windsor Street." She replied, looking at me strangely.  
"Cool. Let's go then." I said, slowly pulling out of the coffee shop's parking lot.

**Tegan's POV**

I had nothing to do now that I was cleared for work, besides think. I didn't really need to work anyway, I mean, Sara made a good amount of money, more than enough to support both of us.  
Our apartment was fairly nice, and large as well, and she'd told me herself on several occasions that working wasn't necessary on my part. But I was only 25. Isn't that normally an age when I should be working?

Eventually I let my mind drift from work and to the source of the thoughts. Sara. I couldn't comprehend the reasoning behind my feelings, but I knew I couldn't deny them. It hurt to know that I felt these feelings, and to know that Sara didn't reciprocate them. The only way I was able to believe that maybe she had, even a little bit, felt the way I do was to get her really, really drunk. I doubted that she even remembered, but I could never forget. I would never forget.

That was my main reason for hating Stacy, Sara's current girlfriend. Every time Stacy would come over, this intense feeling of jealously would come over me, and I would have to leave the room, saying that I wasn't feeling well, or that I was tired. It really just depended on what lie I was willing to give that day.

I knew Stacy was picking up on it, but I didn't care. One night, they were lounging out on the couch, and I heard Stacy whisper, "I don't think she likes me, Sara..."

I'd snickered quietly to myself then, and went down the stairs to my room, and I cried myself to sleep.

I was lying on my bed now, staring up at the ceiling. It was nearly noon, and I was here, wallowing. I'd been doing that until I remembered how Sara acted around Lindsey, when we'd dated. She was always awkward, had an even shorter temper, and talked even less, which made the awkwardness even worse, if that's even possible.

I'd gotten a text earlier and ignored it, but now I was bored, and I decided to check my phone now. I picked up my Blackberry and noticed a text from Sara. My heart jumped as I read the short message.  
"We need to talk. It's important."  
I replied. "Now, or later?"

She answered quickly. "I'm busy now, I can't talk, so when I get home. I will see you later."

"Okay then..." I said aloud, wondering what we'd talk about and what had her so busy right now.

"As long as she's being careful..." I sighed. "When did I start to sound like mum?" I sighed again. "And when did my love life get so fucking confusing?" I ask myself, but I know, that deep inside, I've always loved Sara. Even when I was hating her, and she was hating me; that hate was simply masking the love that I felt. It's so wrong and immoral, but if it's pure love, then who can truly call it wrong?

**Sara's POV **

I knocked on the door of the fourth floor apartment of the run-down building. The floor was creaky, and I assumed this was some sort of drug house. I remembered what they smelled like from my risky teenage years... I realized that I was done when I lost one of my best friends to a drug overdose.

A petite, young woman opened the door. She was blonde, and didn't fit the killer's MO. All of his previous victims had been brunettes.

"Hi, officers. What um... What can I do for you?" She asked, looking between the both of us. Emy's formal attire matched my own, and I was seldom in uniform anymore, being a detective. I was excited; this was my first case in the homicide branch. I had a desk job for the first two years, then last year, I worked the beat, and now, I've earned my rank, though many others say that it's because the Chief is my stepdad. That part does help, but I'd like to say that I'm here in this position because I earned my place. But, I digress.

"Yes, good morning. Are you Katherine Morrow?" I asked, shifting my weight as she stepped aside.

"I am... why?" she answered, suddenly looking anxious.

"I've heard that you know something that could be of use in the murder of Samantha Quarrel; did you know her?" I ask, and she nods, and the two of us step inside.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners... would you like to take a seat or something? DO you want any, like, coffee or anything?" she asked, nervously picking up stray papers from the couch so we could sit. Emy hung back and leaned against a nearby wall, her sketchbook at the ready. I wasn't sure if this girl was a junkie, or if needles would be sticking out from the couch, so I elected to stand. "No thanks. I haven't yet introduced myself," I start, and Emy takes a step forward. "I'm Detective Sara Quin, and this is... Emily Storey, sketch artist for the homicide branch of the VPD. We shake her hand, and then we're ready to get down to it. Maybe now I could get some leads. Finally, the hunt was on.


	2. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is a long one, sorry If anyone has any suggestions for a plot twist, please, don't hesitate to post them in the comments! Um... If anyone has any guesses as to who The Reaper and her partner are, like I said, just post it in the comments... I'm just really busy with school, and I've started my finals, so I'm not sure when I'll get to update, but... Here's your weekday gift! I know this isn't my best, but as usual, please excuse any mistakes, and review! I love feedback, and I'm working on clearing up any confusion anyone might have. Whew! Thanks for bearing with me on that one!**

**Chapter 4 - Make a Map of What You See**

**The Reaper's POV**

All they see after I'm through with them is darkness; should I feel remorse? Absolutely. Did I? Absolutely not. After all, I wasn't the reason I was doing this.

Two Nights Earlier…

I saw a woman walking alone, and it was nearly three in the morning. The Vancouver backstreets were quiet and deserted. She swayed on her feet slightly.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm not so certain that you should be out on your own at this hour," My partner, a tall average-looking man began, placing a hand on her elbow.

"-The fuck did you come from?!" she exclaimed, jerking away from his touch. We were both wearing hoodies, and dark colors and such, so to block out our features. The last thing I wanted was to be recognized.

I was certain we couldn't be seen, but I ducked into an alley as a car pulled up next to the woman and my partner. The woman didn't fit the mold for my victims, per se; she was blonde, but the driver of the car, she would do just fine, she was a brunette. I was near enough to hear the words exchanged.

"Katie, is that you? What the fuck are you doing? Why are you out this late and wasted? At least you're not alone; who's he?" The woman in the car asked.

"Samantha, thank God it's you! I don't know who the hell this guy is... He just fucking came outta nowhere!" The blonde woman I assumed was Katie answered, slurring her words.

Samantha, the brunette in the car turned her car off and grabbed her keys firmly, got out and walked around to Katie and my partner.

Their backs were to me, and the only light source was from a light post at the end of the block.

That was the perfect scenario.

"Hey... Wasn't there someone else with you?" Katie questioned my partner.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You are the one who's fucking wasted, right?" My partner asked in his smooth voice. It was hard enough having him as my partner as he was easily recognizable. I mean, the guy knew practically everyone! But maybe that could help...

He reached for his pocket and grabbed a cloth and placed it over Katie's mouth and nose, filled with chloroform.

"Oh my God, Help, someone - !" Samantha began to scream, but I came up from behind her with a cloth dripping chloroform as well. I snaked my arm around her neck and pressed her into the shadows of the alley. She was weakening in my arms, and I sat her down against the wall as i watched my partner toss Katie into the front seat of Samantha's car after taking her wallet. He tossed the keys inside and locked the doors. She was taken care of, and it helped that we were already on the backstreets.

"Are we good now?" He asked me. I nodded. We walked a short distance into the pitch-darkness of the alley to my car, a black Hyundai Genesis sedan.

We head to an empty warehouse just outside of town. "Now we can get to work. Tie her up over there; load your gun, and get me my knife," I command, and I sense a bit of irritation from him, but he listens to me. This is our third time at it, and I'm not so sure how long he'll continue to listen to me, to be on my side.

**Sara's POV**

I listened as Katherine Morrow told me everything she remembered from last night. It wasn't much. She said she was drugged, and woke up in Samantha Quarrel's car. The only thing she remembered was faintly seeing a man's face. I asked her questions like "Where you were at the time of the incident?", "What was your relationship to Samantha?", "Did she have any enemies", and "Do you have any suspicions on who the murderer might be?".

Katherine kept her answers short. Her answer were "I was walking to my house at three in the morning", "She was a close friend, my ex-girlfriend", "I don't know, Samantha worked as a damn _bank teller_. I didn't know every aspect of her life", and "My only suspicion is the man who attacked us that night".

She described him to Emy, and she did a brief yet semi-detailed sketch of him.

When she was finished with the sketch, Emy showed it to her. Her expression was nearly unreadable, but it was in my job description to read people and their body language, and I could tell that she was nervous. I wasn't sure if it was because of the picture, the _situation_, or the hurried footsteps outside the door.

Katherine didn't say if she recognized him or not, but I glanced at Emy, she had confusion on her face.

"This guy... he looks really familiar. We went to university with a guy who looks like him..." she mumbled from next to me, but Katherine hadn't heard. "Do you recognize this man?" she asked her.

"Um, this looks like him, yes, but I just... I don't know. I can't... can't remember. I didn't get a good look at him. It was dark, and I was really, really, drunk..." she said, and I gave her the hotline number to the case, which was just my cellphone number. I figured that she would start to remember after we'd left.

We went to the door, and Katherine rushed ahead of us to open it for us, and the people who'd been rushing back and forth scurried into their own apartments. She seemed to be in a hurry to get Emy and I out of her apartment. Now she looked really scared, and I couldn't place why. I stopped just before crossing the threshold and out into the hallway.

"Are you okay, Katherine?" I ask carefully.

"No... yes. C-call me Katie. Just... call me Katie. Um, goodbye." She said, ushering me out.

"What was that about?" Emy asked after the door was closed and we descended the stairs.

"I have no idea, but it was pretty suspicious..." I replied, feeling like I was forgetting something, like there was something that I should have done that I didn't.


	3. Author's Note

**Author's Note **

I can't be sure that you guys know that the Chapter page labeled 2 is actually my update of Chapter 4… if you haven't read it yet, please, do, even though I know that I can do better. The next "chapter" I update will be another author's note, just to get my chapters and chapter pages to be the same. Don't worry, I'm working on having chapter 5 up for you today, since chapter 4 was so short! Thanks! -CJ


	4. Author's Note 2

**Author's Note**

I'm really trying to think of a new idea for chapter 5, which I'm working on right now… I'm thinking that it'll just be Tegan and Sara having a… talk, of sorts, perhaps about each other…. Any ideas? Those are so helpful, and I really do appreciate all of you guys as readers and reviewers! And again, I am really sorry about how long it's taken me to update, but, I really am going to try to push chapter 5 out by tonight. If not, then tomorrow, probably after my finals…. Thanks again for reading! - CJ


	5. Chapter 5: Sugar Spell It Out

**Chapter 5: Sugar Spell It Out**

**Sara's POV**

I'd driven back to headquarters, deep in thought. _What the hell was it that I forgot? Did I forget something?_

"Sara, we're here." Emy told me, and I looked up from my hands in my lap. It was a quarter to noon, and I was on my way to see the chief.

"Yeah…Well, I'm going in now, so I'll see you later." I said, taking my keys from her and briskly walking inside.

I tossed my coat on my desk, being careful not to knock over the pile of stacked paperwork. I knock on the door to his closed office, where I hear his muffled, yet gruff voice call to me. "Come in, Detective Quin."

"Good afternoon sir." I start, closing the door behind myself after crossing the threshold. I knew that I was making the situation so awkward, and as he turned in his chair to face me, I was taken aback by his smiling face.

"Have a seat, I'll make this quick, Sara." Chief told me, and I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Chief Clement had always made it a point to ignore his relationship with me when we were at work. If he hadn't been married to my mum, then I might not have even liked him. I knew that his typically stoic and detached behavior was all for a reason, and I followed suit.

"… Sir?" I questioned as I sat across the way from him, watching his hands as they traced patterns on the big and sturdy mahogany desk. My phone vibrated, and I quickly stopped it. It was a text from Tegan. I'd texted her some time earlier, but I figured she'd been asleep. I told her that we needed to talk, and her reply was "Now or later?", so I told her that I was busy and couldn't talk, but I would when I got home. There was no way I was going to text _anyone _while I was sitting at the desk of the chief of police. That would just be stupid.

"Sara, please, just call me Bruce. Right now, I know you're heading the task force, but I kind of wanted to talk about something strictly personal." He began, waiting for my reaction, which was pure confusion.

"Uh, okay… Bruce," I start, feeling awkward because it'd been about eleven months since I'd called him that, which was New Year's.

"Okay, so it's nothing much, but your mother would really like for you and Tegan to come by for Thanksgiving and to maybe stay for a few days. I mean, we'll both be off of work for a bit, but we'll be on call, as usual. I know this case is really important to you, it's important to everyone, and have you gotten any new leads anyway?" He began, then stopped himself. "Sorry, I said that this meeting would be strictly personal. So do you think you and Tegan would like to come? You could even bring Stacy along; it's been a while since we've seen her. How long has it been since you've seen her?" he asked, turning in his chair to look out at the snow heavily coating the city below.

"Um, are you going home soon?" I ask.

"Yes, in about an hour. Sherwood is going to take care of your paperwork pile until you're back working full time. I'm allowing you to have a little bit of a break. Like I said, we're still on call, so if there's any sort of emergency, we'll know about it. Or, if there are any breaks on your case. Staff Sergeant Gowans will be handling your case for the next week." He replied, telling me more than I'd asked, but I wouldn't complain.

"Okay, well, _Bruce_, I'll head home, I guess, and talk to Tegan about it, and since you'll be off, I'll call you at some point after I see what she says. Is that okay?" I ask, stopping myself before I call him "Sir".

"Yeah, yeah. Now go home, before this storm gets any worse and we all get snowed in here, alright?" he ordered, his face serious, but I noticed a friendly glint in his eye that he only showed me.

"Yes, sir!" I answer, getting up and excusing myself. I leave his office, seeing Emy near the bullpen water cooler, but I avoid her gaze, and her altogether, heading to my desk, grabbing my things and going out the door. I stuff my hands in my pockets, searching for my keys. By the time I find my keys and get into my car, I'm like a block of ice. I turned the heat on full blast, and didn't thaw out fully until I was walking through the door of my apartment. I thought of what I intended to talk to Tegan about, and though I was still cold, my cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.

Tossing my bag on the floor when I walk in – which I know my OCD mind will freak out about later – I notice Tegan curled up into the corner of the couch, her knees pulled up and a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. There's another mug on the table, and she sets hers down and presents it to me. "Aw, thanks, Tee." I say, taking the mug and nearly spilling the contents on myself; my hands were shaking. _Shit. This is _not _going to be easy._

**Tegan's POV**

I gave Sara her cocoa and she took it, thanking me, and I just smiled, thinking how cute she looked nursing the mug almost as if it were her favorite drink of coffee. She blushed as she drank it, sitting down next to me. I thought about that. _Why would she be blushing like that? _

"Okay, so um… you wanted to talk to me?" I start, thinking that she needed a bit of coaxing.

"Yeah… Uh, how have you been holding up after what happened a few nights ago?" she asked, and my heart jumped. Did she remember what had happened between us?

"What are you asking? Uh…" I started, unable to form a sentence after that.

"I mean, after Quinn and I took care of that guy who tried to carjack you."

"Oh. Um, I feel a lot better than I did that night, and I'm still so fucking glad that you were there for me." I answer, and she placed her hand on my knee, sliding a few inches closer to me.

"I'm always going to be here for you, Tegan. And I'm glad you feel better about that; but something else happened that night. What else can you remember happening?" she questioned with a confidence I would have lacked.

"You want my honest answer, right? Because what I remember is… morally wrong, but to me, it was _so_, so right. I hope you can remember that as well so I don't have to go too far into detail. I know we were both drunk but-" I started, but Sara cut me off.

"So you remember us having sex then? And you didn't think it was wrong. God, I'm just always so fucking paranoid. I was wasted out of my mind, and sure we got together pretty quickly, but I remembered it."

Her reply surprised me. She remembered that, but not the other times.

"You know I love you, right?" I wonder. She met my eyes, they reflected my emotions.

"I do, like a sister… and more than a sister should love her sister, Tee. I am so glad I recall that night."

"You don't remember the last time we did that? Sar, it's not like that was the first time." Our first time together had actually been way before that, but Sara had always been both drunk _and _high. Those were probably the reasons she never remembered.

"No… if that wasn't our first time, then when was?" she asked, and I could hear the anxiety in her voice.

"You won't freak out and leave me if I'm honest with you, will you? I mean, I always remembered because I'd taken the measure to not be completely incapacitated; I never wanted to forget." I answer, and her features soften.

"Tee, I love you. I'm openly admitting that now, since you… since you love me too. Your honesty is the one thing that I want besides you." She told me, leaning closer to me. I met her face halfway and this time, without any drugs or alcohol in the way, this kiss felt so right, and so pure; almost like the first. In a way, I guess it was.

"I love you too, and I always have. That's why our first time was when we were sixteen." I saw an expression on her face that I couldn't quite read, but she wiped it away and kissed me again.

She licked at my bottom lip; she wanted entrance to my mouth, and I wanted her to have it, by all means. I opened my mouth, and our tongues met and mingled with each other, reacquainting themselves. The kiss was becoming very intense and passionate, and Sara pulled away. A light whimper escaped my throat at the lack of contact.

Sara chuckled lightly and leaned back against the arm of the couch. "I know it's not really my thing, but, um, do you wanna, like, cuddle or something? We can just talk, if you want to." She laughed when my face lit up, not needing a verbal answer, so she took my hand and we walked down the few steps to her room. We didn't need to have sex, we just needed the proximity of the other. It wasn't even late at night; it was only late in the _afternoon_, but I could tell Sara was exhausted, and if she wanted to sleep, I knew I'd have no issue following suit with her at my side.

I was still wearing a t-shirt and some shorts, but stripped the shorts off and joined my sister in her bed after she changed from her work attire into a plain t-shirt as well. She reached her arms out to me, and I gratefully took them. I had always liked cuddling, and the closeness of other people. But being with Sara really made me feel like I was home, and right where I belonged. Our legs were tangled together, and I rested my head on her chest, listening to the irregular rhythm of her heart.

"You know, you really ought to lay off the coffee, you know." I say disapprovingly, but she knows that I'm just looking out for her health.

"I will, as soon as I retire. This job requires you to be fully alert, so I need my coffee! Hey, look on the bright side; I stopped drinking energy drinks!" she said with a slight giggle. "And Tee?"

"Yeah?"

"I think that there's nowhere I'd want you to be but right here, with me, like this." She kissed the crown of my head.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be, Sasa." I answered completely truthfully, and a few minutes later, I felt her breathing deepen and regulate, and I knew she'd fallen asleep. I shift my head and place a kiss on her forehead and resume my previous position, falling asleep as well.

When I woke up later on, it was late at night, dark, and Sara wasn't there. I panicked before I realized what we'd talked about, knowing that she wouldn't run, wouldn't hurt me. Then my thoughts were confirmed when I smelled the scent of the coffee drift into my nostrils. Lazily, I got up and threw on a pair of pajama bottoms and lazed my way to the kitchen.

I wrapped my arms around Sara's waist from behind, resting my head on her shoulders as she stirred coffee for herself, and tea for me. "I'd say good morning, but it's eleven thirty at night… So, hey…" she trailed off, chuckling.

"Hey yourself. How long have you been up?" I ask.

"Just a few minutes. Not long really. So, there's some more stuff that I feel we still have to talk about, that we didn't get the chance to, since I was so tired. But after this cup of coffee, I'll have all the energy I need." She told me possibly hinting at something else that would be done after we talked.

"Okay. What's on your mind?" I question, as we both sit at the bar in the kitchen, mugs in front of us.

"Well, a few things. What are we going to do about this? Us, I mean."

"No one else would understand, so we'd have to keep us a secret. I-I mean, um…" I paused, chewing my labret; it'd become a nervous habit. "We _are_ going to be like, together, aren't we?" I asked, praying that her answer was yes. I'd felt heartbreak with all of the breakups in my life, but if I wasn't able to have Sara in my life, then I knew I'd just never recover.

"Tegan… I think that you ought to know the answer to that one. I mean, all of our lives, we've both had a love that we thought was unrequited. So you think I'd throw our chance away now that we've both realized that we feel the same way? Yes, we'll be together, Tee." She answered, looking directly into my eyes, seeming to see into the depths of my soul. A few tears leaked, but not of my own accord. She wiped them away.

"I really hope those are happy tears!" she mock-shouted. I nodded. "Good. That's great. Well, when I went in to work after an interview, Bruce wanted to see me. He said that he and mum want to know if we can come to their house for the next few days, for Thanksgiving. I know that means we'll have to act like sisters only, but I think that we should go." She introduced the idea.

"I guess so, but what about… Stacy? Didn't she say she was coming over for the holiday as well?" I inquired, trying to figure out a way to say Stacy's name without being crazy jealous of what she could give Sara that I couldn't; a public relationship.

"Ah, shit. You're right. I mean, what am I supposed to do? I hope you know that I don't love her. I never did. I'm all yours, you know that?" She asked, giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. I deepened the kiss and tilted my head, I opened my mouth, and her tongue entered, mingling with mine. We got up and staggered to my room this time, the closer bedroom to the kitchen. She started to push me toward the bed, and at the last moment, I turned and pinned her down. Growing up, I was the stronger twin, but ever since she went to the police academy, she'd had the upper hand. I used my position to my advantage, and allowed my hands to roam free under her shirt, across her taut stomach, feeling the muscles move under my fingertips.

"I feel like I could tell you that I love you every second of every day, and it still wouldn't even be close to how much I really do… Tegan, for all my life, I've loved you. I think that you couldn't be more perfect, especially in this light." Sara told me, melting my heart. She was never really one to emote very much, or openly talk about her feelings, so I was so glad that she was opening up to me; so glad that she was mine after 25 years of both of us essentially being alone because we hadn't had the other halves of our souls.

"I love you too, Sara, and it sucks that I can't say those beautiful things like you just did." I say, calming down, and just cupping her perfect jaw.

"Everything you say is beautiful, Tee. You're so cute!" she says, giggling. I was in sexy-time mode, but then I just settled for cuddling. That was always something I loved to do. Then I heard a loud ringing from the front of the apartment.

"Hey, that's my phone. It might be work; I gotta take it, okay?" Sara told me, kissing my head and getting quickly out of bed. I followed behind, slowly, and she had already answered the phone and was looking at me while listening. She mouthed "Ted", and I nodded.

"Yeah… I did. That was earlier, this morning. I was with Emy, ask her, she was there too!"

A pause.

"What the fuck, Ted, you better be fucking around. No fucking way, I was there _hours _ago! And I'm not at work right now…. Shit. Yeah, thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to get right on it as soon as I'm back in. I will. Keep me posted. Thanks. Bye." Sara said, hanging up, and I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"What happened?" I ask, stepping up to her.

"You know how I interviewed a witness earlier?" I nod. "Well, she was found in her apartment, _killed_. Apparently, someone was there. Someone was right there in the apartment. For _hours_, CSI says. It was probably The Reaper, right under my nose, and I could've done something. But I didn't., and now that girl is dead. That's what I forgot. I should've asked to search the place; I could've possibly found him! Shit, I'm just so fucking pissed at that right now. Goddamn it!" she was really kicking herself about this, and upset; her face was reddening.

I placed both of my hands on her cheeks and looked into her eyes. "Don't kill yourself over the what-ifs or what could've been; you didn't do it this time, but you will the next time."

"I'm a failure. Someone is dead because of me. It's my fault. I'm just no good."

"It's okay. Calm down, I'm here, Sar. I'm here because you saved my life. If you were a failure, if you were _really _a failure, then I wouldn't be here right now." I tell her, pulling her to me in just an honest embrace.

"Well, in that case, I'm not a complete screw up… I saved you… I saved myself. Without you, I just wouldn't be able to function. I love you so much. I'm so glad I can tell you that now."

"Ditto. Should we maybe just start packing for our trip to mum and Bruce's place?" I suggest, and she nods and releases me, if not a bit reluctantly.

Just as we're about to go to our rooms, someone knocks on the door.

"Who the hell would be here at almost midnight? I'll get it." Sara says to me, walking up to the door, opening it, revealing Stacy.

"Hi, Tegan. Hey, babe. You gonna let me in?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: In The Mourning**

**A/N: **So it seems as though some of you think that you're onto me… I'm thinking about the plotline right now, thinking of where it should go from here… I'm listening to this band that I found out about while reading (the amazing story) First Love by ComeOnJustifyMyLove. The band is called Now, Now and I find myself unable to stop listening to their song "Wolf". Either way, I'll be listening to Now, Now, Tegan and Sara, and/or Paramore while writing this fic, so don't be surprised if someone from any of the bands appear as a character! Oh yeah, so do your research on the bands if you don't know them! I think this chapter will serve as some sort of filler, maybe, but as usual, read, review, and enjoy! =^)

P.S.: My Wi-Fi sucks and is really giving me a hard time so if I don't update… well, that's the reason!

P.S.S.: The title for this chapter really has nothing to do with the chapter itself, it's just a Paramore song I listened to while writing it!

**Sara's POV**

I felt the color slowly fading from my cheeks, and I was scared, like, legitimately scared, and nervous as hell that maybe she heard something that Tegan or I had said to each other. The cold air came through the door behind her, and I stared at her blankly, and I could hear Tegan awkwardly shuffling her feet.

"Hi, Tegan. Hey, babe. You gonna let me in?"

I swallowed hard, and nodded my head, which felt light. I was maybe just a bit sick from the situation we were in, and the fact that I was a block of ice earlier, only wearing a thin jacket, which was just a stupid move on my part.

Stacy stepped past me, and put her bags down and started to come back to me, and I had the urge to cough. So I did. Unfortunately, that started a coughing fit. Apparently, you need to breathe to survive, and I'd seemed to have forgotten that. I felt Stacy's hand pat my back lightly. My head was killing me now.

"You okay, Sar?" Tegan asked me. I nodded, clearing my throat.

"Yeah, yeah; I'm alright. I think maybe I'm just coming down with something. It's this fucking cold weather. Uh, Stace, you wanna maybe close the front door?" I mutter, and she apologizes and goes to close the door. Tegan meets my eyes, and I just shrug. My head kind of cloudy.

"Maybe you should sit down. You look kind of pale." Stacy suggested, and I shook my head, mumbling that I was fine, even as I walked toward the couch and sat down.

"Are you sure you're alright? You were fine earlier, right?" Tegan asked me, biting her labret.

"Yeah, I guess. I… don't know, I was fine earlier today, I interviewed a witness, met with Chief Clement, and I came home, and I was freezing my ass off the entire time; and when I got in, I just hung out with Tegan, everything was really _good_," I pause after putting emphasis on good so Tegan could know just how good I thought it was.

"… And then I fell asleep, woke up, made coffee, drank it, and about ten minutes later, here you are, and here I am, feeling like shit." I said, sneezing for good measure. It wasn't an act either; I kind of felt like I was coming down with something earlier, but this would definitely ease Tegan's nerves about me touching Stacy, not that I'd have done anything anyway.

"So you think you'll be okay, though?" I hear Stacy ask me, settling onto the couch next to me, leaving her bags near the front door.

"Yep. I'm sick though, so I'm gonna sleep here, and I want you to sleep in my room, and I'm not taking no for an answer, got it?" I say to Stacy and she rolls her eyes but nods anyway.

"Oh, right, Sara, I almost forgot; when are you gonna call mum to let her know that we're coming over?" Tegan asked.

"Shit, I _did _forget… uh, I'll call her in the morning. You guys should get some rest. Got a lot of packing and things to do for the trip. I'm gonna pack up my things in the morning, you guys know how well I work when there's not much time to spare." I say, and they agree, and as Stacy's leaving the room, she says over her shoulder, "You're such a procrastinator!"

I waited until I heard the door to my room shut before I sighed heavily.

"So this is gonna be really hard, huh?" Tegan whispered, sitting next to me on the couch and inching closer.

"Yeah, you have no idea how much I just wanted to ignore Stacy and just kiss you. I missed having you right here next to me already." I say honestly, and she leans in to kiss my lips but I turned my head so the warm instead met my cheek.

"Uh-uh, I'm sick remember? You don't want whatever I've got, now do you?" I question.

"No, but you really ought to take something for it, don't you think? I mean, you'll probably be high on cold medicine, but-"

"No way, Tee, you know that I believe in keeping things natural. I don't want to be incapacitated if I get a call that I'd need to respond to. Nope. No medicine for me. I'll be fine. Come on, you need to go pack and get some sleep. When you wake up, there'll be some nice green tea here waiting for you, okay?" I ask her, getting to my feet and pulling her up with me by her wrists. She fell against my torso, and I looked long and hard into her eyes, so she could see everything that I feel for her there. I kissed her cheek.

"Okay. Night, Sar. I love you." She said with a wink.

I returned the wink with a whisper, "I love you more."

**The Reaper's POV**

**Several Hours Earlier…**

"What did you tell her?" I ask, keeping my voice well below a whisper.

"Nothing… nothing, just that she'd get what's coming to her if she decides to talk. What exactly did you mean by 'talk', though? You do know that that cop and the artist are talking to her, right? They know me, we went to school together… what am I supposed to do, huh? I can't keep doing this…" my partner rambled on, but I stopped listening to him, instead focusing on the sounds of their voices, just down the hall.

"Hi, officers. What um... What can I do for you?" Katherine's voice was wavering and easy to distinguish.

"Yes, good morning. Are you Katherine Morrow?" Authoritative voice.

"I am... why?" Katherine.

"I've heard that you know something that could be of use in the murder of Samantha Quarrel; did you know her?" I could recognize this voice as the authoritative voice, but there was no name to the voice as of yet.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners... would you like to take a seat or something? Do you want any, like, coffee or anything?" Katherine.

"No thanks. I haven't yet introduced myself; I'm Detective Sara Quin, and this is... Emily Storey, sketch artist for the homicide branch of the VPD." Sara. Hmmm. I wonder…

I didn't care much for what the three of them were saying after I realized that Katherine still had no recollection of my presence that night. I was in the clear, but my partner had a point. Everyone knew him, both Sara and Emily. I heard Emily say that she'd known him, or looked like someone that the both of them had known. The odds of it being him were rather high. He was soon to be a liability; I needed to get rid of him, and to make my presence known, but in a different way.

**Tegan's POV**

I wasn't exactly asleep, just in a state of… well, whatever, I was sleeping, but then my alarm clock went off, and I quickly silenced it. It was just a quarter after six in the morning, and I was going to be awake before Sara for once, for sure, especially since it was her day off. Mostly, though, if I was asleep for too long, I wouldn't be able to be awake to admire her; in so many more ways than one.

Remembering that Stacy was here, I brought my towel with me to my bathroom. I turned the water on, and adjusted the water pressure so a gentle flow of water would come through. I grabbed my usual, coconut scented shampoo and took extra care to massage my scalp. I used Dove body wash and took extra care washing my body. Apparently, though, I took _extra_ long in the shower, because when I got out and checked my phone, it was a quarter to eight.

"Damn it…" I mutter to myself, pulling on a blue and black plaid button up shirt and black skinny jeans. I avoid putting on my shoes; I'll do that at the last possible second.

As I walked back to my bed from my closet, as small raspy voice startled me.

"Good morning."

"Oh, hey, when'd you get there? Heh, morning! When did you wake up? I bet you didn't wake up before me!" I insist, and she shrugs.

"What time did you wake up?"

"Well, I actually set an _alarm_, and I woke up at 6:15! Aren't you proud of me? I actually didn't sleep 'til noon. So, I woke up first, and-" I start, but Sara cuts me off, mid-sentence.

"I woke up at 4:30. I used your shower. And… well, your alarm was actually set for 6:00, but it rang for 15 minutes until you actually heard it and woke up. But I'm still proud of you, Tegan!" She told me with a cute little giggle.

"Aw, I thought I actually beat you this time. Okay. Next time then! And you know, your voice sounds kind of sexy, you know? You kind of sound like a prepubescent teenage boy, but I think it's really cute."

"Oh, thanks… and gross. But mostly thanks. I almost kind of wish you hadn't said that. But I'll take what I can get, I guess. If you still want that tea I promised you, follow me to the kitchen," Sara told me, and walked off, her hips gently swaying.

There was a slight growl in my voice as I replied, "Gladly."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Twins**

**A/N: **Sorry I haven't been updating all that regularly, it's just that I'm in a band, and there are rehearsals, and there's song writing and all that jazz. But mostly, I suffer from writer's block after every chapter. T-T. Anyway, I'm writing this chapter while I listen to "Monster", "Emergency", and "Here We Go Again", all by Paramore. Anyway again, here we go. Feel free to review, I like reading everything you guys tell me; I like to know that you guys enjoy my writing!

P.S.: What year hairstyles should they have? I was thinking The Con era, or maybe If It Was You… long hair ftw! I really like their hair for the Sainthood era (Not the bowl cut, even though that was cute). But you guys… you tell me? What hair should they have? I can't believe I hadn't thought about this until just now! (Facepalm) and anyway! Here you are, chapter 7 of The Reaper:

**Sara's POV**

**Earlier**

**-A/N: **See I completely forgot how long I said that Sara and Stacy have been together in my fic, or if I did at all… but this bit takes place in the beginning of their relationship, so say, about a year in the past? So this would have been within the first month that they started dating. Yeah.**-**

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Seattle, while I waited for Stacy. She actually lived in New York, but on business, she was here, in Washington for a few weeks. Seattle isn't all that far from Vancouver, but Tegan was going to be home tonight, like always, but this week I didn't feel like I could handle being in her presence for the whole seven days. It gets hard, having feelings for your own sister- your own twin. But I do. I love her; in both a sisterly and unsisterly way.

But that didn't matter now. Stacy was walking through the door. I watched the sway of her hips and found myself comparing her to-

"Sara, hey, when'd you get here? I still can't believe you're staying here, just for me!" she gushed as she approached the table, thankfully shaking me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, you know, I think we might have something here… I wish I could stay the whole week, but you know how it is… I have a full-time job, I'm a police officer, so I can't neglect my work for too long…" I say, mindlessly scratching at the back of my head.

"Yeah, I know. Um, how's your sister? Tegan, right?" she asked me, and I nodded my head and took a sip of the now tepid coffee that had been sitting in front of me for thirty minutes.

"She's good. You know, having a sister is hard, but having a _twin _sister is even harder. It's just… annoying." I say, and some of it is true, it _is_ hard, but not for reasons that Stacy would think of; or even begin to fathom.

"Hey, I know how you feel. I have a sister, too. It's funny, her name is Sara too, but with an H. Yeah, we don't really get along. I haven't spoken to her in a few days… see, she told me something… can I trust you to keep a secret? It's kind of illegal in a way, but not really since I haven't acted on anything, nor do I plan to, but can I? Can I trust you…?" she trailed off, waiting for my answer and reaction.

"That kind of… it kind of depends… you know I can't- I'm a police officer, I'm supposed to… ah, fuck it. What is it?" I say, wondering if I made the right decision.

"Alright… well, see, the thing is, my sister and I are twins too, just like you and Tegan. But we're fraternal. And you guys are normal, while Sarah admitted to me that she had feelings for me- don't think I'm weird or something… it's not me, it's her… she said that she loved me, as more than a sister."

"S-so what'd you… what did you do?" I ask, setting the mug down so it wouldn't crash to the table, and firmly wrapping my now trembling hands around it tightly.

"I told her that she was fucking sick, that she needed help! No one should ever love their sibling that way! It's fucking wrong, and it's disgusting! And you know when she told me this? When I told her that I'd started dating someone new. It was you, obviously, and she just got crazy jealous, I guess. I thought I knew her, you know… we're twins, I thought I knew her better than I knew myself… but I guess I was wrong."

"… Just when you think you know somebody, I suppose…" I mumble, now unsure of what to do and how to feel around Stacy when I think of Tegan, or when the conversation turns to her. "When was the last time you saw her?" I ask, and she opens her mouth to answer, closes it, and her jaw drops again as she points over my shoulder.

"Just now."

I turn around as a girl who looks remotely like Stacy comes over to our table and stands with her hand extended to me. "Hi. I'm Sarah Reader… Stacy's told me about you. You're Sara… what? What's your last name?" she asked, as I took her hand and stood, returning the gesture.

"Quin. I'm Sara Quin." I answer, glad my voice wasn't shaky.

Stacy quickly added, "She's a police officer, you know, Sarah? She's really important back in her home city!" not that I'd ever said that I was important, but I think that was mostly said to intimidate Sarah. I don't believe it worked.

"Oh… well, you're really pretty. And you look so young! How old are you?" she ask, and I start to feel a bit uncomfortable and suspicious as I noticed the firm, almost crushing grip she still had on my hand.

"Um, thank you… I'm 23. I'll be 24, though. My birthday is late in the year." I say, feeling suddenly very awkward. I kind of felt bad for her… she was kind of just like me, in a situation like me, with unrequited love, a forbidden love. Yeah, because I know all about what it feels like to want that forbidden fruit. I felt kind of bad for her because now it seemed as if Stacy _hated _her, but she was still here… acting as if everything was okay.

I had just noticed that I'd lost the feeling in my right hand, and slowly retracted mine from her grip.

"Sarah, what the fuck are you _doing_ here?" Stacy asked, and my head turned in her direction, even though I knew she wasn't talking to me.

"What do you mean, Stace? I fucking _came _here with you on this trip, remember? The _whole _fucking way. It was a long ass fucking drive here from New York, I'm _so _looking forward to the drive back." Sarah replied, and I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not, what with Stacy told me about her and all.

I mean, my hell was being trapped in a van with Tegan for any amount of time when we went on weekend trips to visit our father, Stephen, in Calgary AB as kids. Or, at least, I had to play that card. No one could ever see past my façade, and sometimes _I _couldn't either. But now, there was no lying to myself. I'd simply accepted the fact that I'd fallen for the forbidden fruit. That perfectly ripe and desirable fruit. But I didn't exactly want to be alone, so I'd settled for Stacy, the slightly unripe fruit.

"Calm the fuck down, jeez. I was just looking for you-" Sarah started.

"-Why?" Stacy cut her off.

"… To tell you that your boss called, and thought I was you. He says we're relocating." She stopped, probably for dramatic effect, but it only seemed to further piss Stacy off more than her actual presence had.

"Where to? I mean come on, we're just being shuttled off here and there; where the fuck does he have me going now?"

"Gee whiz, Stace. Don't sound so angry; you're the one who signed up for this _humanitarian _job." Sarah answered her, and I stifled a giggle. _So_ _that's what her job was. It's a very broad description, but still._

"Shut up, Sarah. Where are we going now? Scratch that; where am _I _going now? I'm traveling alone from now on, so this stop is your last stop. Take my car and go home. So Where am I going, Sarah?" she asked her sister, and I felt like I was suddenly back to my teen years with Tegan, and we were fighting and hating each other. Of course, I didn't actually hate her, though I'm sure she hated me.

"Vancouver, BC, Canada. Well, I don't want to… interrupt your… your _date_, so I'm… I'm gonna go. Sara Quin, it was nice to meet you." Sarah said while glowering at me as she precipitously departed.

"Sara… I'm sorry about that. I'm sure that was awkward for you. So I guess I won't be in Seattle very long."

"Heh. I guess I won't be either. I _live _in Vancouver." I say, and Stacy comes over to me and places her lips on mine. "This is great. Now I don't have to travel with _her_. I mean, is it alright if I come with you?" she asked, and even though I couldn't fully appreciate her because _someone_ _else _was always on my mind 24/7, I liked her, despite it all. "Yeah, you can come with me. I live with my sister, though, and just a warning, she's been pretty moody since she broke up with her girlfriend…" I trail off, and Stacy smiles widely at me, and kisses me again. I push my tongue to her bottom lip and she grants me entrance to her mouth, and our tongues battle, but I dominate her, and pull back for air. I go back in for another kiss, and kiss her teeth instead.

"Haha, you taste like coffee, Sar. I like it. Um, will you be my girlfriend, Sara?" Stacy suddenly asks me, catching me off-guard, but she doesn't know that. I mumble "yes" against her lips, and she puts a hand on the nape of my neck and gently pulls away.

"Hey, we're in public… as much as I want to give the people a show… I really should go. You can text me your address, and I can go there when I'm done with my business here. Huh. I never would've thought you'd live in Vancouver, BC. Well, I have to go. Bye, Sara." She told me, leaving one last kiss on my cheek and turning on her heel and walking out the front exit with an extra sway in her hips, just for me.

I bit my bottom lip and downed the remainder of my now-cold coffee, and headed for the rear exit.

**Sarah's POV**

I had to keep my feelings in check. She hates me. I can understand that. I'm sick. There's something wrong with me. But maybe it was my timing. She'd just started a new relationship. Fucking Sara Quin. It was her fault. Maybe if she hadn't been seeing Stacy, _my _Stacy, then maybe, just maybe, she'd feel the same. I'd exited through the front exit, and walked around to the rear, and stood behind some stacked booster seats to hear the rest of Stacy and Sara's conversation.

"Sara… I'm sorry about that. I'm sure that was awkward for you. So I guess I won't be in Seattle very long." Stacy's voice.

"Heh. I guess I won't be either. I live in Vancouver." Sara.

"Really? This is great. Now I don't have to travel with _her_. I mean, is it alright if I come with you?" Stacy asked that question. I knew her voice as if it were my own.

There was a slight pause before she answered. I enjoyed the hesitation.

"Yeah, you can come with me. I live with my sister, though, and just a warning, she's been pretty moody since she broke up with her girlfriend…" I heard the sounds of kissing - making out would probably be more accurate - and I cringed.

"Haha, you taste like coffee, Sar. I like it. Um, will you be my girlfriend, Sara?"

I stiffen up at that question, and as I hear Sara faintly answer yes, it's like knives in my heart. I know Stacy will never feel the same way now, and it hurts, and it's all _her _fault. Fucking Sara Quin.

"Hey, we're in public… as much as I want to give the people a show… I really should go. You can text me your address, and I can go there when I'm done with my business here. Huh. I never would've thought you'd live in Vancouver, BC. Well, I have to go. Bye, Sara." Stacy.

I don't wait to hear anymore, as I now know where I'm headed. I knew that Sara was in a hotel near ours when Stacy told me about the two of them three days ago, before I flipped out and stupidly told her how I felt. So I had some time to figure out what I'd do. One thing was for sure; I sure as hell wasn't going home.

**Sara's POV**

It had been about six hours in total since the very strange experience at the coffee house in Seattle, six hours before I saw Stacy and she became my girlfriend, and six hours since I understood the situation that she and her sister were in, six hours since I'd gotten off the plane and was walking toward my front door with my keys in hand. But, my phone rang, and I paused at the welcome mat.

I recognized the number as Staff Sergeant Ted Gowans' desk phone.

"Sergeant Quin," I answer.

"Sergeant Quin, the Chief wants you to come in. There's been a murder. Are you back in town yet?" he asked me. I sighed inwardly and nod, though he can't see me.

"Sir, yes sir." I answer.

"Well, get here." He tells me, and the line goes dead. Ted wasn't normally this short with me. It must be bad.

Still, though, I open the door, and drop my bag with three days of clothes and things on the floor just inside the front door. I catch a glimpse of Tegan lying on the couch. She was probably waiting up for me, I told her I'd be back tonight. It was kind of cold, as usual, but she was shivering, so I grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her small frame. I placed a gentle, barely-there kiss on her forehead and turned around to leave. I paused at the door when I heard her sleepy voice.

"Sasa?"

"Yeah, Tee?"

"I missed you. Where are you going?" I chuckled and smiled at the childhood nicknames, and at how adorable she sounded when she was half-asleep.

"I have to go in for work. I missed you too Tee, but I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, I love you. Be careful." She said to me.

"I love you too. Tegan, am I not the definition of cautiousness and safety?" I asked.

I turned to see her face for her answer, but she was asleep again. I smiled at her, and felt Sarah's pain for a second, causing a single tear to roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away and exited and locked the door behind me, heading off to the precinct.

I happily got into my own car, tired of taking cabs from the past three days, and drove down to headquarters.

As soon as I parked my car and walked in, Katherine King, a patrol officer who I recognized from college and a spring fling came up to me. "Hey, Sarge, I was told to tell you to go to the conference room, ASAP."

"Alright. Thanks." I say, and I leave with a curt nod.

I head in the conference room, and there I see Chief Bruce Clement. I sit quickly in the rear of the room, and he continues talking, as if I had never even entered.

"26 year old Sharon Quimby was murdered today, and we have reason to believe that this killer will kill again. Hunter?" he gestured to the medical examiner, or ME, and Hunter Burgan stepped up to show us a few photos.

"Besides many lacerations and bruises various and injuries to the extremities, the killer has left this, engraved into our victim's skin." He clicks a button on a powerpoint type of slide, and pictures come up, and the last one he shows is the picture of the grotesque and bloody carving on the victim's fair skin.

"S. Reaper" was all it said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Say It Ain't So**

**A/N: **Sorry I'm always so late with these updates… I'm trying to work my way into a rhythm… Right now, I'm listening to "Floorplan" & "Red Belt" by Tegan and Sara, "Now", & "Future" by Paramore, and "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer.

**P.S.: **You guys should really tell me what era for their hairstyles! Otherwise, I'll probably just pick Sainthood… or maybe The Con… damn, I'm just really indecisive. Help me out? Sorry if this chapter ends up short and terrible, and yay if it turns out long and good! And I'm also not good at writing smut… But be sure to review! Feedback is love! :)

**Tegan's POV**

I finished off the tea that Sara had made me, that she should have been drinking herself. We were all set to head over to mum and Bruce's house, I'd just gotten off the phone with mum, and she was over the moon that her babies were finally getting along, and that we really loved each other. I'd try to mimic the way she talks, but Sara does a much better job than I do.

I felt as if things were going smoothly between Sara and I, and for that reason, Stacy's presence actually didn't disturb me as it usually did. I guess I never really gave Stacy a chance; she wasn't a bad person or anything, the jealousy in me had just never allowed me to see any of her good traits. Needless to say, I wasn't going to go out of my way to compliment her, but I could be civil now.

"Tegan, what are you doing? Come on, mum's expecting us by two thirty!" I heard Sara call me from near the front door. I glanced at the time on my Blackberry. It was already a quarter to four. I grabbed my light suitcase, since we were only staying for five days and four nights.

"All right! Jeez, I'm coming!" I reply, feigning aggravation. I chuckled lightly as I left my bedroom, meeting Sara and Stacy at the front door. Stacy was typing away on her phone, I noticed, but I didn't think anything of it. We locked up the apartment and walked to the parking lot and just stood there for a few seconds, getting finely coated in snow.

"So… we'll take my Explorer, then." Sara huffed, trudging over to the black SUV. Stacy laughed as Sara came back and took her bags from her and me as well.

"Aw, thanks Sar." I giggle, slipping into the backseat, knowing that I can't flip out at the fact that I can't sit next to Sara in the front, where her already familiar warmth would be. So instead, I got into the backseat with no complaints and shivered to myself.

The drive to mum and Bruce's place was kind of short, and for the most part, uneventful. Sara was playing some of Bruce's old mix tapes with Bruce Springsteen and U2 on it, and Stacy had fallen asleep.

"So, how do you think this is gonna go, Tee?" Sara asked me, sipping some tea from a foam cup from the apartment.

I shrugged. "I don't know. We're still sisters, you know; we'll make it work." I say.

**Sarah's POV**

**1 Year Ago**

**A/N: **This would be the time just before the first murder, and just before Stacy comes to Vancouver. **/**

I knew Stacy was probably mad at me for intruding on her date, but I knew she couldn't stay mad at me; she loved me too much. I knew she had to have felt _something _for me. Something besides the sisterly love crap. No, what I meant was much more. What I _needed _was for her to feel something too. I couldn't be alone in this… this _sickness_.

I went back to the hotel and waited for Stacy to return. She did, about ten minutes after I did.

"Sarah, what are you still doing here-" Stacy started, but I wasn't hearing any of it this time.

"No. I'm talking now. You know damn well that I'm not going anywhere… I can't. I need you, Stacy. And whether you want to deny it, or if you want me to deny it, I can't deny the fact that I love you the way I do, Stacy, and I won't." I say, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me as I look to the floor, unable to look into her perfect brown eyes any longer.

I felt a pair of lips gently and hesitantly meet my own, and I knew it was Stacy, and not because she was the only other person in the room. Her hands dropped to my shoulders and I felt their descent until they stopped at my waist. I was feeling brave, so I let my hands roam up and tangle themselves in her thick, long chocolate locks.

The kiss was deepened, and before I even knew what was happening, I was between Stacy's legs on the hotel bed, and she was screaming for her release. I teased her, not finishing her off.

"After this, I hope you know, there's no going back to the way things used to be…" I trailed off, hearing no sign for me to stop from my counterpart. Stacy's hands reached around my body to grab my rear and pull our dripping cores together. The friction built itself up nearly automatically, as if we'd done this before. "Oh God…" I found myself moaning. "Sar, I'm gonna cum… Ohhh… God…" Stacy moaned into my ear, and I felt myself swaying closer and closer to the edge. I fell first, and, and was able to calm down as I felt Stacy's body trembling in my arms. "Oh Sarah… I love you, I love you…" she whispered to me. I couldn't be sure which Sarah/Sara she was referring to, but I wouldn't ruin the moment for either of us.

I woke about an hour later, and Stacy was there, and awake. She'd been watching me sleep. "Sarah… About the things I said to you… and the fact that I was an overall bitch to you… well, I guess I just wanted to say I'm sorry for hurting you. That, and the fact that that was the most amazing sex I've had in a while… Um, I don't know if or when we would ever do something like that again, but, I hope you know that I don't, like, hate you or anything like that. But I can't break up with my Sara… not yet anyway. I care about her, and she knows about you… and she'd suspect something if I just ended things. I guess what I'm asking you is… will you wait for me?" Stacy asked me, and my mind was still a bit foggy from sleep, but I knew that this thing with Sara was eating her up, and so I therefore still hated her, for keeping me from having Stacy's whole heart.

I thought of the lyrics to Weezer's song "Say It Ain't So".

_Say it ain't so_

_Your drug is a heartbreaker_

_Say it ain't so_

_My love is a life taker_

I thought about my answer. I really thought it through.

"Of course."

**Stacy's POV**

**Present**

I didn't know I was going to be going with Sara and Tegan to their parents' house… I'd only planned on staying the night. Sarah was waiting for me at the hotel. Things have been kind of tense between us. She's really pushing me to end things with Sara, but if I knew anything about her, it was that she could be so random emotionally. It was exciting at first, but became kind of hard to cope with. Most of the time she was stoic, and just kind of… vacant. That was definitely unsettling. But there were still so many other things about her that I – admittedly – loved.

As we waited for Tegan, I shot Sarah a quick text.

_There's been a change of plans… I'm staying at her parents' house for a little while._

She replied quickly.

_Isn't there any way for you to get out of it? Like, the _whole _thing._

I sighed inwardly before I answered. _Sarah, I told you, she's different than most, but I still care about her. We're still friends; I can't just end things so suddenly… that's like snatching the Band-Aid off a fresh wound. But I'm supposed to be getting relocated soon, so hopefully it'll go through sooner than later. It's too risky for you and me to be together in Vancouver now. I have to go now, we're leaving, but I'll text you later tonight, I promise. _I tell my sister, placing a few hearts and smiley faces at the end so she knows that my mood isn't ruined. Her reply contains lots of "xoxoxoxoxo", and I smile to myself and slip my phone into my pocket just as we get outside into the freezing cold.

I chuckle at Sara as she grabs my heavy bags and places them into her trunk. _Such a gentleman… and so strong…_ I let the thoughts float around my brain, even if Sarah wouldn't like them. Didn't I deserve to think normal thoughts about my _girlfriend _without feeling guilty over what _my sister _would think? My love life was just all kinds of fucked-up. As soon as we were on the road, my body allowed my troubled mind some time to rest.

**Sara's POV**

I glanced over at Stacy and saw the familiar look that was there whenever she was in a deep sleep. I smiled to myself and looked in the rearview mirror at Tegan.

"Hey," I say softly. My throat was sore, but only slightly. The tea I packed before we left was really helping me out.

She gave me the gummy smile I'd always loved in return, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"What's wrong, Tee?" I ask, refocusing my vision to the road, switching lanes.

"Nothing…" She told me.  
"Bull. I'm a fucking _detective_, Tegan," I start, with a playful tone. "Plus, I know you. Like, _really_ know you. So tell me what's bothering you."

She sighed before answering. "Well, it's this thing you have with Stacy… Are you going to end things with her soon? I don't like the idea of ever having to share you. I want your full attention, I want your whole heart. I want to be the only one who has all of you, and I know I sound really selfish, but-" I snickered lowly and met her eyes briefly in the mirror.

"Don't, Tegan. I understand, okay? I'll end things. Before we leave mum and Bruce's house, I'll be yours, and you'll be mine. I love you." I let the three words slip from my tongue. They come without thought, but certainly with feeling. I always meant it when I said it to Tegan, and I even did when I said it to Stacy, just… In a different way.

"I love you too… Can you maybe get some more heat going back here? Jeez, I'm freezing my ass off here while you guys are all cozy up front!" she complained. Some things never seem to change.

In no time at all, we arrived to mum and Bruce's house. I hadn't been there since New Year's, and it seemed as though it had been just a little too long.

I woke Stacy up only after Tegan and I had brought all of our stuff inside and got it settled into the two guest rooms. Mum was so excited to see all us, even Stacy, though I know she liked Emy more. Emy was the ideal partner. She was totally a caregiver, always taking such good care of me. That caused me to feel slightly guilty for blowing her off the other day… I would make it up to her when I went back in to work.

After mum hugged Stacy and talked her up for a bit, I led her to the room she'd be staying in, the room she was supposed to share with me. I sighed. Things with her weren't necessarily going well, but they weren't falling apart either. There was no point in holding onto someone I didn't need in my life. For Tegan, and for the both of us, I would just… let Stacy go. I don't know if she would still be my friend in the aftermath of it all, but… who knew?

"I'm so happy to see the two of you again! I missed you both so much!" Mum gushed as we all sat in the living room, Tegan and I on the sofa, as far apart as physically possible, so not to draw suspicion. Mum noticed this from her seat on the adjacent loveseat. Tegan smiled at mum, and I nodded slightly. Attempting a smile in that moment wouldn't have been smart; it would've seemed forced -which it would have been- and mum can always see right through Tegan and I. She's always been able to.

Things were a bit uncomfortable, and I had been cold earlier, and now it was just too warm. I couldn't take this? What the hell, why was it so damn hot? I felt sweat gathering on my forehead, on the back of my neck, _everywhere_. Just trust me on that one.

"So, how have the two of you been getting along?" mum asked, eyeing the two of us. My face, aside from the irritation at the instantaneous heat, was an unreadable mask.

Tegan, on the other hand, always held her emotions on the forefront. I didn't have to see or hear her happiness; I could feel it emanating off of her in waves. That's the sort of thing I guess I get from mum. I can read people. I guess that's why I became a detective. I had the ability to read people, and I was always sort of detached, always just a bit more stoic than everyone else around me, even if I could be a bit hot-headed at times; it's something I've worked on in therapy in the past. But anyway, I've always been as cool as a cucumber; inside my mind, I could be freaking out, or experiencing some form of inner turmoil, but on the outside, no one would even guess.

"Yeah, everything's been pretty good. I mean, we haven't killed each other, so I'd say that's a win, right?" Tegan gushed out, and if the heat hadn't been pissing me off, I might have actually smiled at that.

"Oh yeah? See I told you things would get better! I told you that you two love each other, and this is great. Oh, my babies are finally getting along! This is great. Tegan, do you have someone new in your life? You seem a lot happier." Mum replied the way I expected her to.

Tegan shook her head slightly. "No, I don't know, I think maybe it's the time off from work. I don't think seeing Lindsey everyday was such a healthy thing for me to do. But I'm okay now!"

I sighed quietly and leaned back into the couch, which only made me warmer. I wiped some sweat off of my forehead, feeling like hell. I had little aches and pains, and then I was shivering a bit, but it wasn't too noticeable.

"Sara, how are you? Are you alright?" mum asked me then, and I saw worry set deep into her eyes.

"I'm fine mum, just a little bit under the weather, but I'll survive. Where's Bruce?" I ask, changing the subject. Mum eyed me suspiciously, but let it go. My eyelids felt kind of heavy.

"He's downstairs working out, of course. You know how he is. I finally convinced him to use headphones so he doesn't disturb the neighbors with the loud music through his sound system down there." Tegan nodded, and I saw that she was stealing glances at me through my peripheral vision, but I didn't look back. I was focusing on keeping my breathing steady.

As if on cue, Bruce came upstairs in the police academy physical training gear that I occasionally still used on my trips to the gym. He had a towel slung across his broad shoulders. He was a very tall, muscular, and overall, very attractive man, but not only was he my step-father, but he played for the same team as me, and that was a turnoff.

"Hi Tegan, it's great to see you again!" Bruce said happily, almost normally, hugging her as soon as she was on her feet. He placed a kiss on mum's cheek, and acknowledged me only with a nod of the head and a short, "Sara." I nod back. "Hi, Bruce."

"Where's Stacy?" He asked me, even though I knew he didn't really like her. He had always favorite Tegan over me, and that never bothered me; I was never one to want the attention of others. Wait, scratch that; I was a hypochondriac. The difference in attention between Tegan and I was just ridiculous.

"She's asleep. She's just jet-lagged or something, from her flight, I guess." I say, not really wanting talk anymore. I'm feeling kind of dizzy, kind of nauseous, so I lower my eyelids, but keep them open. I can feel my skin heating up. It's so fucking hot, I just want to go outside and lay in the snow.

"Oh. Well, what do you want for dinner, honey?" I heard Bruce ask mum, but his voice sounded far away to me. I don't know what her response was, but I had closed my eyes, and just tried to feel better. It wasn't working. Fuck. I didn't open my eyes again, so I didn't notice when things faded to black, in a different way.

**The Reaper's POV**

It was time for my presence to be known, but not by my own hand. My partner. It wasn't hard for me to find him. I only found him because of his slight, yet past connection to _her_. As long as she knew him, well, then everything would be okay. I mean, in a way you know things will never be alright. My partner, Rob Chursinoff… well, I realized that his time was up. He was becoming too defiant for my liking, too paranoid. Paranoia wasn't going to help him in the situation he now found himself in. I just want him to cause a little trouble, shed some blood, and get a little bit more on his hands. If I ever went down for this, which I planned on, I wouldn't go down alone.

**Rob's POV**

I couldn't believe I'd gotten myself into this. Not that I helped in the actual killing of those women, but- _Yes, you did! Fucking idiot, you _directly _helped with the killing of those girls. _The stupid, yet truthful voice in my head wouldn't shut up. So it was true, I _did_ have a conscience. _Where the hell were you when all this shit started, huh?_ I ask it, but of course, now I hear nothing but the blood rushing through my veins. I was doing this because I thought it was good at first; I thought it would lead me to Sara.

I couldn't even explain it, but I always seemed to fall for girls who played for the same team as me. Well, Sara was different. She owned my heart; I felt her there, and I didn't even know her! Well, I knew her, but it was so hard for me to talk to her! I'm a wreck.

The only time I ever saw her was when she was at lunch in the cafeteria with who I'd assumed was only her best friend, Emy. I remembered Emy well. She was in my art class, the star student. One time, she even helped me with a project, but it was only once. But I know she still remembers me; she probably remembers me as the weird guy who kept asking about her girlfriend, but I couldn't help it. Everything about her was perfect; on a scale from 1 to 10, she was 80… exponent 100.

I was a fool for love, I found out she was gay and just… lost it. I lost it all. I lost my interest in school, my interest in music, in art, everything. I was beginning to lose my interest in life, but that was when I got the offer. The offer to get to Sara. Just the mention of her brought me from my depression, and things were better; I just didn't know what _exactly _that offer entailed until I was in too deep, and it was too late for me to get out. My life is just as fucked up as I am in the head.

I had my pistol deep in the pocket of my sweatpants, and a mini Uzi tucked inside my jacket. I knew where I had to go, and I knew everything would all end for me here. I slowly and deliberately pulled the gun from my jacket and looked up at the Vancouver Police Department precinct.


	9. Author's Note 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

I'm really kicking myself over this one month+ hiatus I've taken… I'm nearly certain that I won't have such a huge pause in updates like this again! I had a few chapters pre-written on the notes of my iPhone, but when I updated to iOS 7, my phone erased itself… so I'm starting chapter 9 and onward from scratch. That may be a good thing. Either way, again, I'm sorry, I will try my hardest to have a new chapter up for you as soon as I can! -CJ


End file.
